Month: February 2012

As you’re riding along a side path or walking along a sidewalk of a busy suburban road, the path mysteriously ends. There is nowhere to go except onto the busy street, a grassy shoulder, or a narrow dirt path. Suburban bicyclists and pedestrians know this situation all too well.

WABA testified in support of Prince George’s Co. Council Bill CB-2-2012 titled “Adequate Public Pedestrian and Bikeway Facilities in Centers and Corridors” at the February 15th, 2012 meeting of the Planning, Zoning, Economic and Development Committee. Co-sponsored by Eric Olson (District 3) and Mel Franklin (District 9), CB-2-2012 would require new developments to fill in the missing links in walking and biking facilities from the neighborhoods to the new development.

WABA strongly supports this bill and the leadership of Councilmembers Olson and Franklin in creating safe bicycling and pedestrian connections in Prince George’s Co. During the hearing there was discussion about the proposed financial limits for developers, the maximum required distances of the connection and how “adequate” connections should be measured. We believe these are important points of discussion but should be made in the regulation process and not through legislation. The full text of the bill can be downloaded here.

This week, WABA and MoBike met with Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett to discuss the removal of the Metropolitan Branch Trail’s (MBT) funding from the Executive’s proposed CIP budget. The County Executive stated that the removal was due to disagreements over how to proceed among various interested parties, including the historic preservation community and the bicycling community, and that his removal of the funding was meant to buy time for resolution, not to kill the project.

When asked if his office would be willing to convene a discussion among the stakeholders to facilitate communication and reach a solution, he agreed. We look forward to that meeting, progress on the trail’s design and construction, and a quality connection from Union Station into Silver Spring.

Council staff recommendation: Retain funds in the CIP to fund the same scope as in the Approved CIP, plus the construction of the path on the west side of Fenton Street from New York Avenue (where the trail adjacent to Montgomery College now ends) north to King Street, completing the design by FY14 and construction of this portion of the trail by FY16.

The report continues, stating that “The Council’s role cannot end merely by programming these funds. One or more Councilmembers will need to get personally involved–on a regular (perhaps monthly) basis–to make sure this project proceeds.”

There are numerous hearings and hurdles still to be overcome to restore the funding of the trail, but we are grateful for the personal attention of Montgomery County’s executive and legislative leadership. We will continue to push for restoration of design and construction funding as recommended by the Council staff and continue to work, with the support of the County Executive’s office, to reach a resolve to those issues that led to the Executive’s proposed removal of funding.

We will continue to provide updates on progress. Montgomery County residents, please be ready to take action and contact your elected in support of bicycling as the capital budget proceeds through Council review and the operating budget recommendations are soon to be released. This is a critical time for the Metropolitan Branch Trail, the Capital Crescent Trail, and the possible introduction of bikesharing in the County.

Interested in finding out more about commuting by bicycle? The Washington Area Bicyclist Association and Spokes Etc. Bicycles in Alexandria are teaming up to bring you the Bike Commuter Clinic! This is the perfect opportunity to interest your friends and coworkers in bike commuting. Don’t forget, National Bike to Work Day is right around the corner! Sign up for the Bike Commuter Clinic here.

Join Daniel Hoagland, WABA’s DC Bike Ambassador Coordinator as he presents tips, tricks, and essential knowledge for commuting by bicycle in the Washington DC area. Daniel is a League Cycling Instructor, has taught many different cycling classes, and is heavily involved in community cycling resources throughout the area.

The clinic will address safe bicycle commuting techniques and equipment, riding in traffic, safe routes for commuting, preparing for your ride, and more. Plus, we’ll show you a wide variety of bikes and accessories you can use to get you ready to ride. We’ll even have a couple of commuter bikes set up and ready to roll.

WABA’s “Got Lights?” project gives away 1,000 free sets of front and rear lights (provided by DDOT) and will continue all year in various locations throughout the District. We are committed to giving each and every light set to cyclists who are riding without lights when we find them. If you already have lights on your bike, please consider helping us put these lights on the bikes that need them. Call 202-518-0524 x200 or email bikeambassador@waba.org to help out! This post was written by WABA member and volunteer DC Bike Ambassador Jason Clock.

WABA's branded bike lights for the Got Lights? giveaway

The Dark Ages

Daylight Savings Time ended on November 6th, and since then WABA has been waiting for their bike light sets to be paid for/arrive (as a volunteer, information isn’t always easy to come by). The first few weeks after the time change are statistically some of the worst to be a pedestrian (or a bicyclist), as the number of crashes jumps up.

But for most bicyclists, evening commutes stay dark well into the late winter/early spring, so even though WABA’s lights only arrived last week, the need for lights on bikes hasn’t gone away. This is definitely the time of year when many cyclists are not visible due to lack of lights and reflective clothing.

Bike Lights For the Lightless

WABA’s goal is to target cyclists “riding dark”, i.e. people who don’t have any lights on their bike at all. Whether it’s due to a lack of knowledge about the laws requiring lights, an inability to afford them, not knowing where to buy them, or just plain forgetfulness, these people are the ones who are the most vulnerable.

So when the DC Bike Ambassadors were asked to sign up for the Bike Light Blitz–riding around with a bag of light sets and handing them out with a smile and a “Got Bike? Get WABA” business card, I was happy to help out. Here’s my timeline of the evening.

6:00 PM: I arrived at WABA HQ in Adams Morgan and grabbed a bag of bike lights. 15 white front lights and 15 red rear lights in the “knog” style, single-piece lights with a silicon strap that loops around handlebars, seat posts, or pretty much anything else.

6:10 PM: I decked out my bike with a few light sets to draw attention and designated a pocket each for front lights, rear lights, and WABA cards. Joined by the rest of the Bike Light Blitzers, I headed out. We were allowed to pick our own routes, and I chose to head towards downtown, riding along the 15th street cycle track with an eye out for “stealth riders” to start blitzing. I quickly encountered a few “False IDs”–riders with rear red lights but no front white lights. I told them that a front light is not only good for visibility, but is required by law when riding at night.

6:30 PM: Feeling like a bike messenger, I pushed hard to chase down one stealth rider after another, standing on the pedals and hoping for a red light that would give me a few seconds to pull up alongside and enlighten them. The adrenaline rush helped break the ice, since most riders were a little suspicious at first. “I am just going across the street,” complained one single-speed cyclist–decked out in dark clothing on a black bike. “How much?” asked another rider. “No trick here,” I assured him, “I’m just shedding some light on the stealth riders of the District.” My pun went unnoticed, but the bike lights were appreciated.

6:45 PM: I fully expected that the morning’s rain would keep the number of cyclists low in the evening, but I was shocked to find myself out of light sets in just 35 minutes! I was surprised by how many cyclists did not have lights. Many of them also wore dark clothing which certainly did not help visibility. And worst of all, most people didn’t even realize they were putting themselves in unnecessary danger.

A Brighter Future

I have to say I had a blast helping out with the Bike Light Blitz, and I plan to grab a few more bike light sets to keep on hand for when I come across stealth riders on my normal commute. And, after counting dark cyclists while walking my dog, I might stash a few sets in my coat pockets for those times when I’m on foot, too.

You Can Help Too

Become a volunteer Bike Ambassador and help spread the word about bikes to your community, workplace and friends. We educate cyclists and motorists about safe cycling and have a good time doing it. You can contact Daniel Hoagland, WABA’s Bike Ambassador Coordinator by emailing bikeambassador@waba.org

Thank you to WABA & DDOT for making free bike lights possible!

Last night WABA, MoBike, and other advocates testified in support of restoring funding for the Metropolitan Branch Trail in the County’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget. WABA’s testimony is below. MoBike’s is available HERE.

Thank you to the hundreds who emailed in support of the MBT. If you have not yet emailed the Montgomery County Council you can still do so HERE in advance of next week’s Transportation & Environment Committee hearing on the CIP.

BikeFest 2012

Once again we’re hosting the biggest bike-themed party in the DC-metro region – and all the proceeds make their way back to you in the form of stronger advocacy and, ultimately, better bicycling. We’re planning now to make this year’s BikeFest our most lively and successful fundraiser to date.

In order to celebrate a year as great for biking as 2011 and keep the advocacy strong through 2012 and beyond, we need your support.

Supporting BikeFest 2012

Will you help WABA by connecting us to individuals or groups who may be able and willing to participate in this year’s BikeFest? We are in need of potential venues, sponsors, and in-kind donors.

All it takes is a connection. Here’s how you can help: if you think your neighborhood baker, sports club, or favorite bike mechanic is able to help out, or maybe your company is interested in sponsorship opportunities, let us know.

It only takes a minute. Just send me a quick email at nelle@waba.org or give me a call at 202-518-0524 x202. And be sure to use the buttons at the bottom of this page to share this with your networks on Facebook or Twitter.

We’re on the lookout for:

A venue: An approximately5,000 square feet space to accommodate the event.

BikeBuild Participants: Four local bike shops to build and auction-off handcrafted bicycles.

Food and Drink:Local restaurants/caterers and liquor distributors to keep us happily satiated.

How and why your support matters

BikeFest is an opportunity to the region’s bicycling community to come together to celebrate the progress we’ve made in making the area more bike-friendly. It is also an opportunity for WABA to raise funds to be used in areas in which funding is hard to come by. Those parts of our region with the greatest need for better bicycling facilities and programming also tend to be the areas in which we have the fewest members and the least financial support. Thus, we need to raise funds at events like BikeFest to fund our overall mission and continue to work in underserved communities to get our message to those outside our core audience.

We’re already looking forward to BikeFest 2012, and we have some big ideas in mind. But we need you to help us fill in the details with the types of people and things you want to see. Love that bike shop? Ask them to enter the bike build contest. Favorite restaurant? We’d love to feature their food. We just need your help to bring the right partners together.

As our members and supporters know, WABA has worked for decades to help bring about a high-quality trail connection between Silver Spring and downtown DC. The Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) can provide this connection, but its progress is threatened.

This year, the budget proposed by the Montgomery County Executive cuts design and construction funding for the county’s portion of the MBT for the next six years. We need the County Council to ensure that these years of effort are not wasted and that the County’s commitments to prioritize the completion of the trail are kept.

Priorities are determined not in empty words, but in budgetary commitments. In this budget the promises to build this trail are broken.